At the Movies: April 29

Mother’s Day, Green Room, Ratchet & Clank

This week at the movies: A romantic ensemble comedy that’s perfect for Mother’s Day; a frightening horror flick about a punk-rock band trapped inside a music venue; and a fun family film that tells the story of how two galactic heroes first joined forces as friends.

Mother’s Day

Intertwining stories revolve around a television host (Julia Roberts), a divorcee (Jennifer Aniston) looking for love, and a woman (Kate Hudson) who wants to strengthen her relationship with her mother. Also starring Jason Sudeikis, Courteney Cox, Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Christina Ricci, and Selma Blair. Directed by Gary Marshall.

Perfect for: Fans of holiday rom-coms with ensemble casts, like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve (both also directed by Marshall).

What the Critics Say: Not exactly an Oscar winner, but definitely charming and feel-good. Gwinnett Daily Post nails it: “Marshall is never going to be mistaken for Kubrick or Scorsese, and that’s probably very OK with him. He makes movies the same way McDonald’s cranks out Happy Meals: They’re good while they last, appeal to just enough people to warrant their budget and never present a single second of controversy…” Like all Gary Marshall ensemble films, Mother’s Day is a sweet and satisfying crowd pleaser.

Our Take: See this cute comedy with Mom – she’ll love it!

Green Room

Members (Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat) of a punk-rock band and a tough young woman (Imogen Poots) battle murderous white supremacists at a remote Oregon roadhouse. Also starring Patrick Stewart and Mark Webber.

Perfect for: Scary and gory movie buffs (and grownups only).

What the Critics Say: Yikes. The critics have officially warned us: this movie is pretty terrifying. But, it’s also very well written. According to The Atlantic, Green Room “is a tense gore-fest… But scrape off the scum, and you’ll find [it’s] full of visual artistry, dark humor, smart writing, and glints of humanity… In short, Green Room has all the makings of a cult classic – one likely to find enthusiastic fans sooner rather than later.”

Our Take: If you are a seasoned horror moviegoer, then Green Room might just be your creepy cup of tea this weekend.

Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor) is the last of his kind, a foolhardy lombax who grew up without a family. Clank (David Kaye) is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. After stumbling upon a weapon that can destroy entire planets, they join forces with a team of do-gooders known as the Galactic Rangers. Together, they must stop the evil alien Chairman Drek from utilizing this dangerous technology. Along the way, Ratchet and Clank learn valuable lessons about heroism, friendship and discovering one's own identity. Bella Thorne, Sylvester Stallone, John Goodman, Rosario Dawson, and Paul Giamatti also lend their voices to this animated adventure based on the PlayStation video game franchise.

Perfect for: Those who have played and enjoyed the video game for many hours; kiddos.

What the Critic’s Say: Colorful, silly, adventurous, noisy – a.k.a. perfect for kids. The Washington Post says: “Fans 6 and older of the PlayStation video-game series can zoom along with this animated movie adaptation. (Of course, a new video game based on the movie came out April 12.) It’s fast-moving and full of throwaway gags, but kids will have no trouble following the story of how the intergalactic heroes of the title first met.”

Our Take: Sounds like a fun (and ideal) family film.